Princess Charlotte Is Officially a Fashion Influencer: How She Boosted the Economy to the Tune of $4.5 Billion

Princess Charlotte Is Officially a Fashion Influencer: How She Boosted the Economy to the Tune of $4.5 Billion

Oh, baby! Although she just turned 1 on May 2, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge has had quite the effect on the world of fashion. Just like her mom’s “Kate effect,” the tiny tot sparks staggering sales in whatever clothing or accessory she’s spotted in — even from her very first hours.

A photo posted by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on May 1, 2016 at 3:02am PDT

When Prince William and Duchess Kate of Cambridge appeared outside St. Mary’s Paddington hospital in London on May 2, 2015, they wrapped their bundle of joy in a GH Hurt & Sons merino shawl that sold out immediately. “In the days after Princess Charlotte was born, through May 2015, well over 100,000 people visited our Web site,” Gilliam Taylor, the great-granddaughter of the company’s founder told WWD. “The first orders starting clicking in within minutes of the news coverage. The scary thing is we had no control over the speed of the orders arriving. I remember a rather nervous conversation with my IT colleagues.”

A photo posted by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on May 1, 2016 at 3:00am PDT

It’s not only clothes that enjoy a Charlotte effect, though. Marc Jacobs Beauty named a $34 lipstick after the little princess, and Emu Australia said 259 pairs of Charlotte’s Pink Fleece Slipper Booties were sold shortly after a photo of her had been released.